Healthcare

There are a number of GPS watches currently on the market that allow you to accurately track the progress of your workouts, including your heart rate. Evident from the clunky size let alone aesthetics, it’s fair to say that most of these GPS watches are designed primarily for men. I, a petite female with very small wrists, am certainly not their target audience.

Bia vs Garmin

Gadgets typically come in one size. Iphones don’t come in an XXL for individuals with large digits. But as our electronics become more and more wearable, the tech industry may need to reconsider its one-size-fits-all approach to designing wearable technology.

Meet Bia: the latest GPS sports watch designed specifically for women. Yes it’s smaller and comes in pink but that’s just skimming the surface of the host of other features designed to meet the needs of female athletes.

The duo behind Bia, Cheryl Kellond and Sylvia Marino, streamlined the design of Bia so it would not interfere with their workout: One button, automatic uploading of data, and easy GPS connectivity.

Bia even has a safety feature that automatically sends your location to a loved one and emergency services if you feel threatened or need help.

I caught up with Sylvia Marino to learn more about Bia and the motivation to design a GPS watch specifically for the ladies.

Why design a GPS watch specifically for women? What features make BIA female-centeric?

It is true that we are marketing the watch to women because many of the problems we were trying to solve were ones stated by women. From size, fit, comfort, style, not having to charge the watch plus added features such as real-time race day tracking and a safety feature for solo workouts we’re finding a great deal of adoption by women but men have also asked if they can wear it as well (they can!).

BIA comes in a variety of colors with interchangeable wristbands. Why was it important to make BIA fashionable rather than design it to look either “unisex” or “utilitarian”?

We heard from so many women that style was important and having a training tool that was also an accessory that said “I’m an athlete”. We’re simply bringing style to something that has typically been a black plastic masculine chunk on the wrist. We’re Lululemon meeting technology.

Aesthetically, the most unique design feature is BIA’s display that rests at an angle on your wrist. What were the reasons that brought you to this unique design?

Yes! There are a number of reasons. First, it fits all wrist types. We’ve heard from so many that traditional sports watches – and even more so the heavier GPS watches – are uncomfortable on the wrist. Slim or bony wrists encounter uncomfortable hard straps hitting the ulna bone. Larger wrists complained of a comfortable fit without gaps. With all of these devices you have the “wrist twist” syndrome of having to bring the arm up in front of the face to get a direct reading of the data – be it time, heart rate or information such as distance and pace. With Bia’s unique design the angle keeps this information in perfect line to the athlete thus avoiding the unnatural wrist twist that also impedes stride and body position – whether running, walking, cycling or swimming.

BIA also has an online community. Are there any unique features to the community that distinguish BIA from other online training software? Will there eventually be mobile app?

We really thought about the type of community members wanted. We approached the motivation differently because women think differently than men. In many of the traditional tracking sites you see features like “King of the Hill” or “First Place” – it’s very competitive. Many of our members see the competition as being themselves – hitting personal records (PR’s) after a day or week of work, kids, families and more. For Bia, “First” is a priority, not a place. Our goal setting tools is about reaching personal goals – from working out more to hitting certain times or distances. It’s social and supportive with women from all walks of life and athletic abilities cheering each other on, giving support and motivation along the way. We are planning additional services for members based that we believe they will find of value and serve them in hitting their PR’s.

We are planning a mobile app for users to enter workouts in manually if they choose, or if they have the Bia sports watch with the GPS Go Stick, have their data automatically sync via the cloud upon finishing a workout or race.

Do you think BIA will also appeal to some men?

Yes, many men have asked and we have delivered providing a longer strap and a masculine silver and black finish.

There’s 11 days left to help fund Bia! Visit their kickstarterpage to learn more.

Bia — A GPS Watch for the Ladies was last modified: July 2nd, 2012 by Syuzi Pakhchyan

Exercise, for both the mind and the body, is arguably the most important component to staying healthy as you age. Hand exercises for those suffering from Rhuematoid arthritis help keep joints flexible and strong while memory exercises have proven to help the elderly keep mentally fit.

Products like BrainTap are hints as to what may come as companies begin to focus on health and wellness promotion for an aging population.

Developed by Andrew Huynh, Adrian Abele, Mason Shao, Jayson Fong and James Taylor,BrainTap is a prototype of a wearable gaming device that encourages exercise for chronic arthritis. The wearable system comprises a glove, outfitted with LEDs and motors for haptic feedback, linked to a retro-looking product. The product relays a light pattern (Red, Green, Blue and Orange) which the user is intended to mimic with his gloved fingers accordingly.

How it works

The game not only exercises one’s arthritic fingers but also one’s memory. Combining gaming with finger exercises can make the daily task quite a bit more fun and a little added competition can ensure that the user will keep his fingers fit.

My main critique is that it seems superfluous to link the wearable (especially physically) to a large clunky product. The product can easily be replaced by a mobile phone or ipad, allowing for a much more interesting user experience.

BrainTap: A Wearable Gaming Glove for Arthritis and Memory Exercise was last modified: June 4th, 2012 by Syuzi Pakhchyan

The Mobile Lorm Glove enables deafblind persons to communicate and connect with others using mobile technology.

The glove uses “Lorm,” a tactile signing language used by people with both a sight and hearing impairment. The bottom-side of the glove contains pressure sensors that translate “Lorm” into visual or audible forms of communication (text messages or speech) via a mobile phone.

The glove also allows the user to receive messages via tactile feedback patterns. In addition to the pressure sensors, the glove contains several vibration motors on the back that translate messages into vibrations. It is possible to imagine users beginning able “feel” entire audiobooks.

The project was developed at the Design Research Lab by Tom Bieling, Ulrike Gollner and Gesche Joost. The next phase of research will include direct speech input and output.

Design research projects like the Mobile Lorm Glove hint at the undiscovered opportunities and the capacity for wearable technology to fundamentally change peoples lives. This assistive technology empowers deafblind people with the confidence, ability, and means of communication to engage with the world.

First pitched by inventor Fredrik Lundqvist, MDon a Swedish reality show Dragon’s Den, Elektrodress has received 2 million SEK (about 300 K US) for research funding. The electrode suit is designed for individuals suffering from Multiple Scelerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Parksinon’s and various other nerve disorders.

The basic idea behind the wearable rehabilitative suit is that the electrodes can provide electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) and vibration therapy to help the body relax, increase movement and ultimately function better.

I’m delighted to see funding for wearable technology projects that have the ability to improve millions of lives.

Watch a segment from the show below.

Elektrodress — An Electrode Suit for Treatment of Nerve Disorders was last modified: February 1st, 2012 by Syuzi Pakhchyan

A few years ago, I swapped my over priced ergonomic chair for a bright pink bouncy yoga ball in hopes of alleviating lower back pain that came with the territory of being glued to a screen for up to 12 hours a day. I assumed it was my posture and the yoga ball was the key to “engaging my abs” and preventing me from slouching. But after a few weeks, I somehow managed to figure out how to cheat “the ball.”

Bad posture — we’re all guilty of it — can certainly lead to back pain and eventually headaches. And solutions are tricky — ergonomic chairs and desks are great but I rarely work in the same location all week long.

Wearable solutions seem like a logical fit, but do they work? A student at Carnegie Mellon University, Tobias Sonne has designed a set of “Posture Suspenders” that alert the user with a buzz when he is slouching. Unlike the current products on market that use an accelerometer, Sonne’s device takes advantage of the variable resistance of stretch conductive fabric. The advantages are two-fold: First, the conductive fabric is certainly less expensive than an accelerometer (although long term wear-and-tear may be an issue) and second the user doesn’t have to continuously calibrate the wearable device.

Personally I’m not keen on suspenders but if this could be easily integrated into an undergarment, it may be more wearable. I do question whether a constant nagging reminder to sit up straight genuinely leads to behavioral change.

Me — I still sit in a rather contorted manner every day but I’ve learned to get up every hour or so and now prolifically practice pilates — and my back pain seems to have miraculously disappeared (for now).

Suspenders that Keep You Sitting Straight was last modified: January 20th, 2012 by Syuzi Pakhchyan

MIT’s Hugh Herr’s Bionic Ankles

It’s not often that we see e-textiles used as an elixir for stress. As much as LEDs can be a shriek for attention (look no further than the Black Eyed Peas stagewear) , they also can be used to create a meditative environment according to AHO design students.

Developed by Coralie Rocque, Maria Bacus Edvardsen and Aleksander Imset Wassum, Slenduro is an electronic wind chime designed to create a “a relaxing interactive installation.” Part of the charm of the installation is its use of natural materials such as wool and home grown crafting techniques (knitting and crocheting). Interacting with the crocheted wool tendrils causes the “snowballs” to illuminate and play a melody.

Students Silje Maloney Barth, Siren Dversnes, Yen Sigird Cheung and Siri Yran take a more holistic approach with their project HYSJ. HYSJ is an entire built environment that incorporates a woven carpet with embedded LEDs and a rocking chair. The “relaxation” strategy is, at first, to overwhelm the visitor with a bit of sensory overload and then blanket them in calmness. I do question the bizarre strategy but I’m sure it has some alluring effect.

Therapeutic E-textiles was last modified: January 17th, 2012 by Syuzi Pakhchyan

This week on FT we’re deep diving beneath the skin and into the body to take a look at how near future technologies will be fashioning our very flesh. Last week on Ecouterre, I predicated that this year’s fashion muse will be the 3D printer and that we’ll see more 3D-modeled and printed fashion on the runway. As with any new technology, the 3D printer has reached its pinnacle of hype — and now hope — as it is being proclaimed by the medical industry as a potential substitute for organ donation.

In the near future (as soon as 10 years), 3D printers may have the capability to print replacement organs and bones with materials populated with the patient’s own cells.

Will 3D printing technologies be our fountain of youth?

The Fabbed Body: Printing Organs and Bones was last modified: January 9th, 2012 by Syuzi Pakhchyan

From sonar gloves to thimbles, from haptic vests to scarfs, designers have been exploring various fashions as navigational aids for the visually impaired. The latest project is “Le Chal,” a pair of haptic sneakers by “inter-gineer” (interactions + engineer designer) Anirudh Sharma.

Circuitry Layout with Lilypad Arduino + Four Motors

Sharma’s “smart” wearable system Le Chal, which is Hindi for “Take Me There,” consists of a pair of shoes and an Android app connected with Bluetooth via a Lilypad Arduino. The app provides the wearer navigational information using Google maps and the smartphone’s GPS. The four vibrators located in the front, rear, right and left side of shoe navigate the user informing them with a buzz which direction they need to turn. In addition, the shoe contains a proximity sensor that warns the user of any obstacles up to 10 feet.

It would be great to see some usability studies done on these various assistive technology garments. I have a strong feeling in the next few years we’ll see haptic way finding wearables developed and brought into the market. Questions remains: Which wearable — shoe, vest, scarf, etc— is the most suitable?